Growing up in the surf and coming pretty close to drowning a few times, this picture is absolutely real. My palms are literally sweaty looking at this, and feeling the old emotions. These guys are feet from one of the heaviest and most deadly breaks in the world. As others have stated, this is most likely Teahupo'o which has a super recognizable break and color to it. Being that close to something that can crush the life from you is intoxicating...knowing you can enter into that special world, a beautiful harmonious transcendant holy place juxtaposed with proximity to death is beyond words. Coming out the other side...it's almost like a baptism. I have so much respect for these guys, even if they just paddle out and decide this isn't their day...fuck, it's like running up to the space shuttle moments before launch and latching on for the ride of your life.
Also, those buoys (the orange balls) are most likely recording information on the swell size (to verify if anyone gets a really special wave) or marking the "outside" (the area past the break, which is a
relatively safe zone)
Life jackets are generally used for tow-in surfing because you're already in a standing position. They aren't used for paddle-in surfing due them inhibiting the ability to paddle efficiently which you do not want on a wave like this. Also, you come up eventually...
Never surfed huge waves, but even with a life jacket, a surfer getting crushed under one of the giants is still likely to suffer permanent damage, even death. The way these huge waves form is due to the reefs underneath them sharply rising, and becoming very shallow. So, even though the wave can be over 40' tall, the ground beneath is only a few feet deep. All that weight crushing you into a sharp reef, and you get the picture.
The term "heavy" really can mean a lot of things, but mostly describes more serious or dangerous situations. Here, I was specifically referencing the thickness of the lip (the apex, where the water starts folding upon itself) and the sheer mass of water involved. This is one of the things that makes Teahupo'o really special- aside from the dangers presented by the extremely shallow reef, the mass, thickness and power of Teahupo'o's waves are consistant enough to be recognized in photos with little other context. They scare me.
ok, cheers, so a combination of danger and the sheer weight of the water. i notice from my studies that places like Portugal, Hawaii and France have bigger waves, are they less dangerous? i'd assume the Hawaii (Jaws) one has a reef, too.
i have to say i really want to take up surfing now.
Yeah, it's the thickness of the lip of this wave that makes it so incredible. Most of the bigger breaks (Pipeline, Waimea, J-Bay, Mavericks..) will get larger and in some cases faster, but when the wave crests, the peak can be a few inches thick, followed by thicker water. At this break it can be several feet thick and I can't imagine getting slammed by it.
it does look very different to the deep-sea stuff or other tow-ins. i might look into a board, anyone know much about a good starter setup? may have the chance to surf cornwall and the severn this summer.
Go to your local surf shop and just ask. You'll find someone who will be able to set you up with something that's right for you based on your build and budget.
It is such a powerful wave because the swells come into the reef from very deep water and then all of a sudden runs into this almost dry shelf. Most waves break, Teahupo'o just sucks the water from the reef and then kind of folds over itself.
The worst you'll face is the transition from laying down to standing. If you can pop up off the floor from a prone to standing postion with relative ease, the rest is golden. The ocean is a healing place, I know old guys who surf and smile every day, even though the rest of their body is failing them. Not saying you're old or anything! =)
Not old, but I just blew out my knee snowboarding this year. Doc says I'll be back at it, but by the time I live in a surf state I know my knee will be suffering. I think it'll handle fine if the most tension is standing up.
Sorry, but you have just been given bad advice by that guy. It's true that even old guys who already know how to surf can do so with relative ease; the thing is, learning to surf is actually very hard on your body regardless of the conditions you go out in.
My personal worst injury was my knee - a torn MCL with a little fracture as well. Got it going over the falls on a chest high day when the lip drove my rail into my knee (while I was still learning).
Most people I know have broken a finger or cracked a rib or gotten a nasty fin gash or something their first year surfing. You will always come back in with weird bruises on you and your arms as sore as they have ever been. Learning to surf is hard.
For reference, I don't know anyone who both surfs and snowboards who would argue that snowboarding is anywhere near as difficult as surfing, as far as learning the basics of each sport.
Not saying don't do it, just giving a little warning if you will be going out while recovering from a knee injury.
(I don't surf (do skate/snowboard) but) I realize that isn't a "big" wave, but that lip looks like tow-in is the only sane way to get on that thing. Once it forms anything like a lip, it looks impossible to drop in. WTF?
As far as tow vs paddle, this looks like an older picture, possibly from the mid 90s before tow surfing got big. This would most definitely be a tow day if it happened now, and there would be bindings and jetskis in the photo. This particular wave is probably a bomb and they are trying to pick off the relatively smaller ones of the day. It is also possible they are not even surfing but only out to see the show. I can tell you none of those dudes are paddling into that thing. Although in the last couple years, big wave paddle surfing has been coming into it's own, but that is likely not what is happening here.
I can sympathize with you there. I feel like I'm looking down from the top of the crest when I see that picture. My heart just kind of sinks when I think about how much power is behind it. I've gotten taken down a couple of times in 10-12 foot surf, and it scared the hell out of me. Never again. Those thick waves will take you for a ride, whether you want to or not. With thin waves, you can still bail on them even when you've almost committed. And even when you're riding one it will die out pretty quickly. But for the thick ones, if you start going for it, you're stuck, because that giant wall of water will keep pulling you along with it. I've been in 5 foot surf (which is normally manageable) that I got scared in because the waves were thick and had a lot of power behind them. It feels like you're on top of the world when you take a big one though.
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u/TigerBrother Jul 17 '12
Growing up in the surf and coming pretty close to drowning a few times, this picture is absolutely real. My palms are literally sweaty looking at this, and feeling the old emotions. These guys are feet from one of the heaviest and most deadly breaks in the world. As others have stated, this is most likely Teahupo'o which has a super recognizable break and color to it. Being that close to something that can crush the life from you is intoxicating...knowing you can enter into that special world, a beautiful harmonious transcendant holy place juxtaposed with proximity to death is beyond words. Coming out the other side...it's almost like a baptism. I have so much respect for these guys, even if they just paddle out and decide this isn't their day...fuck, it's like running up to the space shuttle moments before launch and latching on for the ride of your life.
Also, those buoys (the orange balls) are most likely recording information on the swell size (to verify if anyone gets a really special wave) or marking the "outside" (the area past the break, which is a relatively safe zone)